Reviews

"Worst of the Peninsula Traffic"

101 in San Mateo might as well be as bad as 880 in the East Bay - given the fact that 92 and the San Mateo bridge are right here, this is just about the worst of traffic anywhere in the Peninsula. Both directions experience it up to the 92 junction before it dissipates, but it is guaranteed to be crowded at any hour, or if there is any minor accident.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of this interstate is that it IS in the middle of everything. 92 and Half Moon Bay, the East Bay, San Francisco and San Jose are all within reach, making it one of the most crowded places in the Bay Area but also one of the most accessible.

Regardless of how you feel about it, you probably can't avoid it. At least the drivers in the Bay Area are very polite.

"Traffic Central"

I once made the mistake of driving on El Camino instead of the nearby 101 - word to the wise, interstates exist for a reason. While there is plenty of shopping around here and the climbing gym happens to be nearby, this is absolutely not a commuter street, unless you absolutely must drive through here.

On the plus side, there seems to be a Starbucks or a Safeway on every corner, so finding groceries, coffee, or internet is not an issue here. It's not a bad place - just not a place to drive through if you are in any kind of rush.

"Traffic Hell"

The 101 from San Francisco to Silicon Valley is always bad - both directions, in the morning and at night. The Silicon Valley commuters return to their urban San Francisco home, while the San Francisco employees return to their suburban houses. As a result, traffic continues to be blocked in both directions, and the crux of the entire traffic problem is the San Mateo bridge, located (yes) in San Mateo.

Once this bridge is bypassed in either direction, the road opens up tremendously, but in order to get there, the blockage could definitely exist on either side of the intersection. If you happen to use this interstate, be prepared to slow down bigtime.

The only reason why this road gets as high of marks as it does is because there is no viable alternative that makes sense. At least the SF Bay Area drivers are friendly!